


to love and be loved

by toph



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Canon Compliant, Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, During Canon, Fandom Allusions & Cliches & References, M/M, POV Outsider, Social Media, Wordcount: 5.000-10.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:13:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28707978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toph/pseuds/toph
Summary: 5 times an outsider looked in on Viktor and Yuuri's relationship,and 1 time someone from the inside looked
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Comments: 13
Kudos: 140





	to love and be loved

**Author's Note:**

> this is my love letter to yuri on ice

“Seize the moments of happiness, love and be loved! That is the only reality in the world, all else is folly. It is the one thing we are interested in here.”

\- Leo Tolstoy, _War & Peace _

I.  
  
Yuri’s experience with Japan is blemished by the two fucks who can’t stop making kissy eyes each other.  
  
Really, Hasetsu is a very beautiful town with very kind people. The weather is nice. No one chases him around demanding for pictures or calls him pet names like Angel or Ice Tiger or Kitten. (“Yurio” doesn’t count.) Yakov isn’t here to yell at him about his shitty posture or his shitty attitude. When he did call, the yelling problem was easily solved by the simple act of clicking the large red hang-up button on his phone. While most of his daily grievances were solved - a much larger one has also appeared. Viktor and Katsudon.  
  
It’s so obvious that it kind of hurts to look at. It’s like staring into the sun except that would at least be better because the sun doesn’t have gross feelings for anyone that it won’t admit and would also burn your eyes so you wouldn’t have to look at it anymore.  
  
So long as Viktor comes back to Russia with him, the sun will go back to being dark and hidden up in the cloudy sky. It could even snow with how cold and distant Viktor will get again. It used to snow a lot. (He wonders if that’s a little bit too mean. He hasn’t seen Viktor this happy since that night at the Grand Prix banquet).  
  
But if Yuri wants to secure a spot as the youngest Grand Prix gold medalist figure skater in history, he needs Viktor. As much as he hates to admit it, he needs the knowledge and experience that a 5-time consecutive gold medalist has. Not that he would ever admit that to his face. Plus, as long as he pretends that his motivations are entirely rooted in a bargain he and Yuri struck up many years ago, Viktor will honour it without thinking _too_ hard about it. That deal definitely did happen, Yuri has only bent their rules around it a little teensy bit.  
  
Yuri has spent most of his life well aware of how airheaded Viktor is, except apparently in the “genius figure skating” category of intellectualism, which was niche enough that only one person really inhabited it.  
  
So when he looks at Katsudon - a bumbling, mumbling mess of a human who apparently only knows how to say the word “Sorry”, he wonders why Viktor chose to coach him.  
  
I mean sure, he could dance well, (as reluctant Yuri is to admit that), but he’s never seen Katsudon move like that besides that one evening many months ago. The person at the banquet was a completely different human. The person at the banquet was confident, and shameless, and had _amazing_ pole dancing skills, and a charming smile, and a _great ass_ , and-. Nope. No. Stop that train of thought right there. Better yet, jump off that train, change your name to Sergei, and spend the rest of your life in the countryside farming beets in glorious anonymity.  
  
Point is, Banquet Katsuki and Katsudon are two separate entities that apparently inhabited the same unfortunate body.  
  
Katsudon was just as stiff and awkward on the ice as he was off of it.  
  
Viktor comes up and pokes Katsudon in the back. A sharp jab in the middle of the shoulders, which makes squeal in surprise and jump higher than he ever could doing a triple lutz.  
  
Viktor puts both of his hands onto Yuuri’s shoulders, still from behind. He had been watching the dark-haired man from the bank of the rink while they practiced their routines, his pointer finger (the same finger he used to poke Katsudon) pressed to his lip in the signature manner Yuri understood that meant he was thinking _really_ hard.  
  
“Yuuri,” Viktor says, spinning the man in question around, “you’re too stiff. You need to _loosen_ ” he shakes Katsudon's shoulders, jostling him back and forward on each work, “ _up_ !”  
  
“Sorry,” Katsudon says, going red in the face.  
  
“Stop apologizing. You have nothing to be apologizing for.” Viktor says.  
  
“Sorry,” Katsudon repeats with more shame this time.  
  
Viktor sighs again, slides him closer, and goes to whisper into Katsudon’s ear. Yuri can tell that Katsudon gets even _more_ uncomfortable at this, his entire muscles freezing head to toe like a prey animal that knew it was successfully hunted.  
  
Yuri has had enough of watching them. Viktor has _clearly_ been favouriting one of them this whole time. Seriously. What the fuck is up with Viktor? How did Katsudon, a ball of anxiety and apprehension, manage to break down Viktor's steady facade of polite indifference?

He goes back to practicing his routine. _Agape._ Unconditional love. He takes, one, two steps and starts to glide on the ice.  
  
He thinks of his grandfather, and how he would do almost anything for him. He thinks of the beat-up shitty Moscow apartment he was raised in. The clunky Soviet-era car he would putter every day to work to be able to put food on the table for him. He thinks about the rainy grave that his grandmother was buried in, a waterlogged casket set into the muddy ground forever.  
  
He thinks about the first time they went skating, shaking like a deer out of novice and excitement. He had held his hand on the ice as they went in circles. Yuri trying to imitate the jumps of some of the bigger kids.

There are different kinds of love.  
  
(The thing about Yurio, reader, is that he is too young to understand that. He’s used to a suffering type of love. He loves the ice, but he also has to love the neverending ache in his muscles. He loves standing with a gold medal around his neck, but he also has to love his competition and the fact that he can’t always win. He loves his cat, but he also has to love cleaning her litterbox. He loves his grandfather, but he also has to learn how to love without him. He thinks that unconditional, unwavering, devotional love is reserved for fairy tales.

He thought that _Eros_ would be an easier routine. He thinks that lust is realer than devotion. It’s temporary, expirational. Quick and over with, fast-paced, high energy, pumping blood and beating heart. Blink and you’ll miss it. 

Yuri was told that his career would be like that. Yakov had said that once, while they were sat down in his office. Told him that jumps were so easy for him because he was young and had good joints. That he could either take it easy and build a steady career or burn fast and bright. A boy comet.)  
  
In the evening, they will sit around a low table and eat the dinner that Mama Katsuki had graciously made for them. Viktor will ask Yuuri a highly intrusive question about something and he would stammer back a vague answer. Tomorrow Yuri would win the ice competition and Viktor would come back to Russia with him where he belongs. He would forget about Yuuri Katsuki, forget about Hatsetsu and its rinky-dink ice palace, and go back to a safe space where he always had been.  
  
Viktor burns brighter here. For longevity’s sake he needs to go back.  
  
  


II.  
  
When Yuuri was little, he used to talk about how Viktor was the heir to the Romanov family. A little Princess Anastasia, lost to time and the revolution. His justifications for it was that a) Viktor was pretty (“Not like _that,_ Mama, he just looks like royalty.” he would say, and Hiroko wasn’t entirely sure what “ _that”_ was meant to insinuate, but maybe it had something to do with a phone call she received from the principal last week about bullying), and b) that Viktor was incredibly secretive about his life outside of skating.   
  
Hiroko is very aware of her son’s childhood obsession with Viktor. She had bought Yuuri every magazine with his face on it, even the ones that weren’t in Japanese she had to specially bid on the internet for. Gotten him a poodle like Viktor’s. Watched him become a professional skater like Viktor.  
  
Viktor was a very good looking man. Both in the posters on Yuuri’s walls and in the flesh.  
  
She knew firsthand that he was a very pleasant man to be around. He is always very polite, in the way he calls her _Mama_ and kisses her on the cheek out the door.   
  
They get along swimmingly, if not for the slight language barrier between the two. Hiroko knows some English- enough to get by if they ever did get an international traveller to the hot springs, which in itself were few and far to come by. She's not bad at it, but her son is better.  
  
And while Viktor had been steadily picking up Japanese (immersion was the best way to learn, after all), they still ended up gesturing and pointing at each other a lot of the time.  
  
He is a very smart man. He already knew three languages fluently (English, Russian, and French), and told her that Japanese would be his first non-Western language. He said he had a knack for picking up on them, but never had the time to learn more. Hiroko bought him a book one day, _Japanese for Beginners,_ and he would spend his newly acquired free time studying it. Not just booksmart, though. He has a very good intuition for things. Especially for Yuuri.  
  
What she likes the most about Viktor is the way he brings Yuuri out of his shell, even before they knew each other.  
  
“Vicchan”, Hiroko says, “Yuuri used to call you Prince Viktor.”  
  
“Mamaaa,” Yuuri whines, “Don’t tell him that.”  
  
“Really?” Viktor says  
  
“He read in magazine” she said, “That you were prince.”

Viktor laughs. He told them that he remembers that article - it was one of his first tabloid stories. He was young and was obsessed with reading about himself.  
  
“I’m afraid it’s untrue.” Viktor said. He didn’t offer to explain his real backstory. Hiroko didn’t ask for it and if Yuuri was curious, he was too nervous to say anything.  
  
Yuuri finishes his dinner. Excuses himself. Viktor is still sitting with her. He grins at her, a pulled smile that makes her aware that he’s still just trying to be friendly to the lady that is feeding him and letting him stay rent-free.

“Yuuri used to talk about you. Never stop.” Hiroko says, gesturing with her arm out to show that Yuuri was short when he did this. Youthful fantasies. Viktor probably already knows about Yuuri’s childhood obsessions. If he doesn’t, he’s either extremely unobservant - which Hiroko know’s he isn’t, - or just doesn’t care - which he doesn’t.

“He cried when you cut your hair.”  
  
Viktor breathes forcefully out his nose at that - a subdued laugh. “Him and lots of other people. I cut it off myself. Yakov - my coach - he yelled at me and took me to a barber shop to get it fixed.”  
  
“I missed Yuuri.” she says, “He got a big sponsorship at American school. Moved 5 years ago. Never come back until now. I always think about what kept him in America. He had a dog here. A smaller dog than Makka, but he looked like her. Vicchan was hit by a car 1 year ago. Mari called him at a big skating event to tell him.”  
  
Viktor had been listening with an interest. Hiroko liked to talk about her children. She does not know how much of this Viktor knows, but judging by the finger he has pressed to his lip he’s thinking about her words carefully. She was always very proud of Yuuri, even if she did not know a whole lot about figure skating. He looks down at Makkachin who is sleeping beside Viktor. She’s old now, her muzzle is greying.  
  
“He was sad. Called me crying after his skate. Said he lost and wants to come home.” she smiles through her explanation. Her words are slow and deliberate as she conjures up the English word she needs to think of next. “He came home this April and he is sad and fat. But that is okay, he is still my boy. Then you come here. You make him happy again.” she says. “He loves you.”  
  
Viktor’s eyes widen a bit at that. “We barely know each other. He doesn’t really know who I am.”  
  
Hiroko repeats, “You make him happy. He loves you since he was little. Be kind to him.”  
  
Viktor nods at that, looks down and pets Makkachin on the head. “I will. I am.” he looks back up at her “I’m trying.”  
  
When Hiroko cleans up and gets ready for bed that night, she sees Viktor and Yuuri sitting at the sliding door outside. Their backs are to her, and in between them is Makkachin, who is wagging her tail back and forth like a pendulum. They’re scratching her head and speaking in a low, indistinguishable tone. Outside a cicada chirps.  
  
Hiroko knows from the relaxation in Yuuri’s shoulders that he’s getting better at being around Viktor. That Viktor is getting better at not teasing him. They were both clearly burdened by a mutual apprehension. Amazing how one simple conversation could change a man’s attitude so spectacularly.  
  
“Oyasumi _”, Goodnight,_ she says to them. They both turn to look at her, with simple, sheepish smiles on their faces. Yuuri’s eyes are shining. She knows that look.  
  
“Oyasumi _,_ Mama,” they both say at the same time.  
  
  
  


III.

[30 minutes after the Cup of China, 2016]  
https://twitter.com/  
  
 ******What’s happening:** **  
****  
**Sports • Trending **  
****#Viktuuri** **  
**19.9K Tweets in the Last Hour  
  
Trending :

Phichit **✓** @phichitchulanot 30m ago  
YAYAYAYAYAYAYA SO HAPPY FOR MY BEST FRIEND YUURI HE DOESNT HAVE A  
TWITTER BUT KNOW I SUPPORT YOU BOO #VIKTUURI CONFIRMED  
  
Skating News @ontheicedaily 30m ago  
BREAKING: Now Coach @V-Nikiforov reportedly tackles and kissed trainee Yuuri  
Katsuki onto the ice at the #CupofChina. #Viktuuri trends on Twitter. Images &  
article to come.  
  
Latest  :  
  
♥️Katheryn♥️  @katecanskate 20 s ago  
AJLFDfjdsalkfjds;oi WHAT IS GOING ON??? #VIKTUURI  
  
Danny Burrito  @danny_burrito 20s ago   
i dont even go here but im happy for them #viktuuri  
  
lynn @lynndonbridge 5s ago  
I mean are y’all sure it was even a kiss????? #Viktuuri is totally fake news.  
  
Girlboss Katsuki @xoxoviktor 5s ago  
Un-Follow Me Now, #Viktuuri Is Gonna Be The Only Thing I Tweet About  
For The Next Week. Ive Wanted This For Years Fuck. What The Fuck.  
  
christophe's eyelashes @giacumetti 3s ago  
I mean i like #Viktuuri just as much as the next person but can we appreciate  
all the other skaters too at the #CupofChina??? even as a coach viktor still  
managed to steal the spotlight smh.  
  
SKATER BOI @yuripleasetsky 3s ago  
HE WAS A SKATER, I WAS A SKATER, CAN I MAKE IT ANY MORE OBVIOUS????  
  
  


[1 hour after the Cup of China, 2016]  
https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard

s-k-a-t-e reblogged this from princessfrogmouth  
binktop-hinkobop:   
where the fuck did viktor go lmao  
binktop-hinkobop:  
SOOOO i made this post back in april when all we got was a cryptic insta post with a japanese location. I mean obv I KNEW that he was coaching yuuri but ig we all know the real reason why. so can we all as a fandom just take a minute to appreciate today?? i mean, the most well decorated male figure skater of all time just revealed to all of us the answer of the Great Mystery of why he moved across the globe. turns out he was REALLY chasing that booty this WHOLE TIME. good for him and good for yuuri.  
Tagged: #literally cant right now, #isu for ts  
  


s-k-a-t-e reblogged this from vikyniky  
vikyniky:  
what boys like:  
• black hair  
• dark eyes  
• professional athlete  
• pretending to be a pork cutlet bowl  
• silver medalist at an international skating competition  
• katsuki yuuri  
Tagged: #aaaa!!!, #isu for ts  
  


viktornikiforovsforehead posted:  
FDL:KSJFL:KSOIUOGHJKSJOV:HLJ F:LDJFIOJFOSVH CALL AN AMBULANCE LIFE ALERT HELLO 911 IM HAVING A HEART ATTACK  
Tagged: #I HAVE TO BE IN MATH CLASS IN 10 MINUTES HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DO FUNCTIONS WHEN I CANT EVEN FUNCTION  
  


goodbye-sakurachan reblogged this from rnila  
rnila:  
ik everyone (including myself) is excited over this whole viktuuri thing, but friendly reminder to **please** give them their privacy!!! they’re real human people with human feelings. yuuri has said before that he’s a very quiet and private person, so please dont harass him or viktor (or any other ISU skater) for details. from what I could tell, this whole thing looks pretty new. i mean, did you SEE the shock on yuuri’s face in those photos?? SO PLEASE just respect their privacy because they are REAL human people and not some cutesy internet ship.  
Tagged: #skating  
  


goodbye-sakurachan reblogged this from rnila  
-fufu-tutu-:  
MY GAY SHIP IS CANON OMG !!!!! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) YOU JUST **KNOW** THAT   
YUURIS ASS IS GONNA BE SORE TOMORROW AND ITS NOT FROM THE ICE SKATING. PRECIOUS SMOL BEANS 

rnila:  
this is fucking disgusting they’re real people not your fetishy gay ship PLEASE go outside and don’t come back until you learn respect and decency.  
Tagged: #discourse //, #thank u for calling them out, #i legit cant tell if op was being serious or not, #either way not cool, #skating  
  


viktornikiforovsforehead reblogged this from vikyniky  
 **me before watching the viktuuri kiss:** love isn’t real its a scam invented by hollywood to sell more movies  
 **  
me after watching the viktuuri kiss:** god is real *wipes tears away* love is true and it can happen to anyone especially someone that deserves it. really to go and see viktor and yuuri SO HAPPY makes my Heart just EXPLODE. this is real HEART EYES MOTHERFUCKER hours. i think i will go fall in love now. I know what true love is and its following someone across the globe to coach them. maybe the real gold medal was the lover we made on the way <3 <3 < 3  
Tagged: #YO WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, WHATS GOING ON, THE WHAT KISS????, **  
**  
  


[1 day after the Cup of China, 2016]

https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard  
  
s-k-a-t-e reblogged this from viktornikiforovsforehead  
viktornikiforovsforehead:  
**The Viktuuri Bible: A Comprehensive Timeline of Viktor and Yuuri’s** **relationship  
** I decided to try and put together a list of what we know about Viktor and Yuuri’s relationship. Fair warning, a lot of it is speculation considering Viktor’s been quieter than usual on social media and Yuri’s presence is practically non-existent. Also, everyone reading this needs to go into @goodbye-sakurachan’s inbox and thank her for the Japanese translations. Or don’t so she doesn’t get spammed. Or do because I think it would be funny. Anyway I’ll put it all under the cut because it got wayyyy too long.  
[readmore]

Tagged: #meta, #well kind of not sorta yes but im collecting analysis posts, #isu for ts  
  


s-k-a-t-e reblogged this from youeitherskateoryoudie  
Anonymous asked:  
hey im kind of new to the world of figure skating so sorry for my n00bishness. could you talk a little bit more about how viktor changed the sport? I dont really know a whole lot but i saw you adding stuff about it in the tags of another post.  
  
hi anon! this is such a good question actually. i’ve been following figure skating since I was like 10 :P so a lot of this will be from my memory. the tldr version of it is that viktor  
a) changed how the sport was played competitively through his sheer technical skill. there isn’t a single mens skater who doesnt copy something from him.  
b) singlehandedly brought figure skating (specifically men’s, but when one got popularity so did women’s and pairs) to a spotlight because of his versatility and brand recognition outside of figure skating. i mean the man was practically a model for everything when he didn’t skate. there wasn’t a perfume company that didn’t have him signed at one point or another.  
more under the cut  
[read more]

Tagged: #meta, #learn your herstory, #isu for ts  
  


goodbye-sakurachan reblogged this from kuragin  
katsukiyuurivevo:  
plz look at the way that viktor and yuuri are looking at each other in these photos. like they are in love. those are i love you eyes. you can’t tell me otherwise.

  
binktop-hinkobop posted:  
can we PLEASE not let the crazies into this fandom. if youre crazy im blocking you :)   
  
  


[2 days after the Cup of China, 2016]  
https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Figure%20Skating%20RPF/works  
  
dance dance (we’re falling apart)  by  wawaweewa   
Figure Skating RPF  
No Archive Warning Apply, Katsuki Yuuri/Viktor Nikiforov, Viktor Nikiforov, Katsuki Yuuri, Oneshot, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Sochi 2015 Grand Prix Finals, Mild Smut  
After placing last at the 2015 Sochi Grand Prix, Yuri goes back up to his hotel room in shame. Only… he accidentally walked into the wrong hotel room, where none other than first-place champion Viktor Nikiforov is undressing!  
  
Language: English Words: 6,472 Chapters 1/1 Comments: 12 Kudos: 32 Bookmarks: 8 Hits: 539   
  


Sold to Viktor Nikiforov  by  StephanieQ  
Figure Skating RPF  
No Archive Warnings Apply, Katsuki Yuuri/Viktor Nikiforov, Viktor Nikiforov, Katsuki Yuuri, Angst, Alternate Universe, Slave AU  
Never in Yuuri’s life did he think that he would be someone’s slave. Never did Yuuri think that he would be sold to the richest man in the world, handsome playboy extrodinaire Viktor Nikiforov. How could his mom sell him?!!!!

Language: English Words: 768 Chapters 1/? Comments: 3 Kudos: 20 Bookmarks: 1 Hits: 780  
  
  
if the world was wide enough by SkyOfWonder  
Figure Skating RPF  
Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Katsuki Yuuri/Viktor Nikiforov, Viktor Nikiforov, Katsuki Yuuri, Angst, Spy AU, Assassination AU, Angst, BEGGING you to read the authors note for all warnings, theyre still figure skaters so it’s kind of not an AU, but author took extreme liberties with everything, Out of Character, Enemies to Lovers, Rating May Change, For …. You know ;),  
There can only ever be one person to get the gold. In order for Viktor to stay on top, he must eliminate the competition. He’s a seasoned pro at getting rid of anyone that’s a true threat. When the assasination attempt on upcoming figure skater Yuuri’s life goes wrong, Viktor must go undercover and take Katsuki down from the inside. But what happens when you accidentally fall in love with the person you’re sworn to kill?  
  
Language: English Words: 1,345 Chapters 1/? Comments: 4 Kudos: 29 Bookmarks: 2 Hits: 975  
  
The Fault in Our Stars by ToilBoil  
Figure Skating RPF  
Major Character Death, Katsuki Yuuri/Viktor Nikiforov, Viktor Nikiforov, Katsuki Yuuri, Angst, Evil!Viktor,   
Does is Viktor Have Cancer???? WHY else would he quit figure skating??????? 

Language: English Words: 345 Chapters 1/? Comments: 3 Kudos: 40 Bookmarks: 1 Hits: 1037  


IV.  
  


Barcelona was a beautiful city. Also a very Insta-worthy one. Do it for the ‘gram, and all.  
  
The city had an old-European charm Phichit liked seeing in movies and television. Except for the fact that it kind of smelled. Big cities tended to do that. Also, he was pretty sure that one guy he saw earlier with a funny moustache holding a paper bag with a walnut on it was a pickpocketer. Ah well. He added a bit more character to the city, he supposed.  
  
Not a lot of people spoke English here, though. That was okay by him, because they communicated enough to be able to sit down at a restaurant and order some very delicious food. It was very photogenic looking food. He took a picture of it.  
  
Speaking of photogenic, Viktor and Yuuri are eating with them. Chris too. What a very good looking bunch of men. (Including himself, but now’s not the time to be conceited).  
  
Among that group, the person he was closest with was Yuuri. Yuuri was Phichit’s roommate in Detroit when they were mutually bound together by the fact that they were the only foreign Asian guys under Celestino’s tutelage.  
  
Phichit has a lot of friends. Yuuri Katsuki does not, but Phichit liked to consider himself one of Yuuri’s closest. Yuuri Katsuki is currently thigh-to-thigh with the most well decorated figure skater in history. Who he also happens to be pseudo-engaged to. Or actually engaged. He’s always been a very vague person like that.  
  
If the Yuuri Katsuki from Phichit’s first year at college could see the Yuuri Katsuki now, he would probably faint. Or get that weird, startled look on his face Phichit recognized as his activated flight-or-flight response (spoiler alert: he would always choose flight).  
  
When dinner breaks, they all walk back to the hotel together. It’s a very nice night considering it’s the middle of December, but there is a cold wind that's steadily been picking up. Phichit has internally declared himself the future-best man at their wedding (not that Yuuri knows that yet). He considers the merits of standing outside with the wind on their faces a noble sacrifice for the ability to interrogate one Mr. (future) Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov. 

“Yuuuurriiii!” Phichit says, walking up to him and Viktor. They’re holding hands. “I need to talkk to youuuu.”  
  
Yuuri tilts his head to the side and says, “Okay,” then turns to Viktor and says, “I’ll see you up in the room?”  
  
Viktor nods and lets Yuuri’s hand go. Takes the bags Yuuri was carrying. “Goodnight, Phichit.” he says and then kisses Yuuri on the cheek - a quick peck that Yuuri’s clearly not used to receiving in public.  
  
They stay behind as the rest of the group walks forward. Phichit slings a friendly arm around Yuuri’s shoulders as they watch them leave.  
“Now what the _fuck_ was that, Yuuri.” Phichit says.  
  
Yuuri plays ignorant, “What was what?” he says.  
  
“Viktor!” Phichit exclaims, then points to the ring on Yuuri’s finger. “Engagement!”  
  
“It’s not an engagement ring. It’s on the wrong hand,” Yuuri says. Like that would disprove anything.

“Liar. In Russia it’s on the right hand.”

“How do you know that?” 

“It’s common knowledge.” Phichit replies. “Ask Viktor. He knew that and he still let you do it.”

Yuuri sighs. “Maybe it’s a little bit of an engagement ring. But I didn’t think about that when I was buying it. The lady at the jewellery store said it could be symbolic of anything.”

“That’s just how salespeople sell you things. By using fancy words. I bet you it's billed as an engagement ring.”

Yuuri digs his chin in closer to his scarf like a turtle. 

“I’m your friend, right?” Phichit questions

“Yes? Why would you even ask that?”

“Because I want you to spill. Dish. Give me the tea.” Phichit says, “I promise I won’t post anything anywhere. No matter how much someone begs me to. TMZ tried to contact me after what happened in China and I said no way am I talking to you. Noble of me, huh?”  
  
“Yes, you’re like my knight in shining armor.” Yuuri says, and he sounds sarcastic. Then, in a nicer tone he says “I’m sorry that I haven’t talked to you much lately. I’ve been busy.”  
  
“Clearly.” Phichit says, “It’s okay. I know you hate texting and really, we’ve both been busy this season.”

“I’m proud of you, Phichit.” Yuuri says, “Didn’t we say that we would both make it to the Grand Prix together?”  
  
Phichit nods, “I’m glad. Come up to my room. It's freezing all of a sudden.” Yuuri looks apprehensive at that. “Viktor will be fine without you for a little bit. He’s a big boy.”

Yuuri nods. The hotel is warmer, and the ride up the elevator is quiet. Phichit has a room to himself; it’s very standard-issue. On one bed Phichit’s clothing is laid out, but the other is clear. In the closet, his skating costumes are hung up in garment bags.  
  
Phichit turns up the heat while Yuuri settles himself on the foot of the empty bed.

Yuuri talks. He talks about how Viktor randomly showed up at his home one day naked as the day he was born and that he brought Makkachin and all his earthly possessions with him. That Yuuri was scared to be around Viktor because he represented everything Yuuri wasn’t; famous and talented and godly good looks. 

“I was very caught up in the idea of who he was supposed to be and not what he actually was,” Yuuri phrases, “If that makes sense.”

He said that Viktor was too kind to him, more so than what he deserved. That he was mean and cold to a man that was only nice to him. (Yuuri would go to up to his room he shared with Viktor, where the beds were pushed together and he would be waiting for him with pleasantly blue eyes and a pearly smile. Yuuri would sit and internalize the idea that he was suffocating Viktor. Holding him back from his true passion and the recognition he rightfully deserves as a world-class figure skater. He only came to see Yuuri for inspiration, all those months ago in the hot springs. They only spent one night at the Banquet together, and Yuuri wasn't even Yuuri then, but a druken careless person who was inconsiderate of things like personal space and workplace appropriateness. It was only a matter of time until Viktor got bored.)  
  
(This is a love story).

“I guess I kind of figured out - tonight actually - why he even came in the first place. Just my luck that I didn’t remember anything from the banquet. I guess I should probably talk to him about that, huh?”

Phichit pulls up a series of photos saved to his camera roll. It’s from the night at the Banquet. "Chris gave them to me," he explains. In one of them Viktor and Yuuri are dancing, drunken grins on their faces. Viktor’s leg is kicked out and Yuuri’s palm is resting on his cheek. They look dopey and wholly uninterested in anything but each other.  
  
“Do you want me to send these to you?”  
  
“No.” Yuuri says, then “Yes. Please.”  
  


V.  
  


When Viktor was 15, he missed practice to go see a boy. It was the first time he had done that. The boy he was seeing was 17, a training player from the hockey rink next door. He was tall and broad-shouldered, spoke in a deep, absent tone that gave Yakov the knowledge that he was as dumb as a brick.  
  
Empty-headed muscle for an empty-headed sport. It’s not that Yakov disliked hockey or its players, but that’s exactly what it was. An old resentment. At least figure skaters still had all their teeth. Viktor liked hockey players, and Yakov disliked Viktor’s boyfriends.

A day later, Viktor returned to the ice rink acting as if he had done nothing wrong. Like it was just another day on the rink.  
  
“Good morning, Yakov.” he said  
  
“Viktor!” he yelled in response, which caused a novice girl on the ice to startle, “My office!”  
  
Viktor sat down in the chair opposite to Yakov’s and slouched. Got comfy in his chair, curved back and legs criss crossed. He was about to put his skates on when he was yelled at, so he had walked to his office in a pair of fuzzy socks. They had dinosaurs on them.  
  
“Lilia told me you snuck out of the apartment the day before yesterday.” Yakov said.  
  
“I didn’t _sneak out_ .” Viktor replied, twirling a piece of his hair around his finger.  
  
“It was _ten at night_ and she was busy getting ready for bed _,”_ Yakov replied, voice straining. “and you didn’t come back until late the next day. You missed practice. Lilia didn’t know where you were. She called me in a panic. I almost called the police. Nobody could find you.”  
  
He stops twirling his hair. “Sorry?” he shrugged, “I forgot.”  
  
Yakov sighed, “Where were you?”  
  
He shrugged again, “Out.”  
  
Yakov repeated it, this time with more force. “I asked you boy, where were you?”  
  
“and I told you, I was out.”  
  
“What I need you to understand, Vitya,” Yakov said, “is that I care about your career. I can’t have you mysteriously disappearing in the middle of the night and not tell anyone where you are or what you’re doing. Were you doing drugs?”  
  
Yakov always had a funny way of verbalizing that he cared about Viktor. He has always phrased it as “I care about your career”.  
  
Viktor, knowing this, said, “No.”  
  
Yakov stands up this time ready to continue on his lecture- “You’re an internationally ranked professional figure skater. If you get caught doing drugs I’m throwing you out. The ISU regularly performs bloodwork, and you and I both know it. I swear to God Viktor, if you’re lying to me-”  
  
Viktor said, “Yakov, jeeze, I wasn’t lying to you. I was at someone’s house. We had a few drinks. I didn’t feel good the next day, so Borya let me stay”  
  
Yakov pinches the bridge of his nose. Breathes slowly, trying to calm his blood pressure. “Vitya- I know you’re young. I know you’re full of hormones right now.”  
  
He appreciates Viktor’s blush of embarrassment at that.  
  
“But I can’t have you sneaking out and jeopardizing your career for a boy and a shitty bottle of vodka. If you sneak out again - if you miss another practice again for a boy or a girl or a hangover or _whatever_ , I will personally end your career before you have the chance to ruin it yourself.”  
  
Viktor nodded, stunned to silence. (Viktor would still go out, of course, but he always told someone. He never missed a practice even if he was hungover. Hangover practices were the worst. He spent them all being laughed at by Yakov and trying not to vomit when he spun.)

Gentler this time Yakov said, “Go do your warmups. And then do your drills twice to make up for the practice you missed.”

“Yes, Coach.” Viktor said.  
  
When Viktor was 27, he missed practice to go see a boy. Well, a man. And it’s not like Yakov could stop Viktor, because he was 27 years old. And it wasn’t so much that he missed practice as he quit them altogether. Old habits die hard, though. 

Yakov had long lost count of how many extra drills Viktor would need to do to make up for these absences.  
  
Yuuri Katsuki wasn’t like Viktor’s teenagedom playthings, though. That certainly helped Yakov get over his notions. He still dislikes him on the principle that he’s the man that made Viktor quit his job and move across the world for.  
  
Yuuri is much kinder than any of them, and made Viktor noticeably happier.  
  
The thing that bugged Yakov the most was that he couldn't be around to watch over Viktor. Someone had to do it. As much as Viktor was an independent adult Yakov couldn't help but feel he had unofficial rights to guiding Viktor to make good decisions since nobody else had ever stepped up to plate. But then along came Yuuri, and he seemed to care plenty about Viktor.  
  
Objectively, Yakov knew that Viktor is in love. He knew from the way that Viktor was so much more settled now. Viktor used to fret around on the ice, desperately in search of something to grasp that would give him and his performance a higher meaning. 

_Stammi Vicino_ was one of those things. Viktor wanted someone to stay close to him and would never let him go. He clearly got what he wanted, judging by the way the both of them were clinging to each other as if they had been gorilla-glued.  
  
From across the arena, Yakov watched as Yuuri kisses Viktor on the mouth and pushes him away, closer to the ice. They had a very good rhythm going- Yuuri would be off warming up in the Ballet studio while Viktor practiced a routine with Yakov in preparation for his comeback. When most of the skaters break, Yuuri would come back and take the ice.  
  
Like clockwork. Yakov could see how it was very tiring for Viktor to both coach and to be coached, but it really did give Viktor a great source of inspiration. He liked the struggle, the masochist.  
  
Maybe it was all worth it. Viktor was genuinely content now. Grounded to someone that wasn't himself.

They ran through his short program. It was beautiful and elegant. It reminded Yakov of Viktor’s early days in competition, when he was young and full of an ethereal, untouchable energy.

His programs before Katsuki were _adult,_ composed. Morose and contemporary. Exciting nonetheless, but they never had a deeper meaning. Surface level-theatrics. Viktor always excelled in the technical, but Katsuki elevated his ability to perform in the emotional side of things.  
  
Katsuki helps Viktor’s career.  
  
(Remember: when Yakov said “ _Viktor’s career,”_ he always meant “ _Viktor the human.”)_

When Viktor finishes his run-through, panting breaths and beating heart, he’s staring at the gold band that is wrapped around his finger.   
  
He’s smiling. Unselfconsciously. A real smile, the one he reserves to everyone including himself. He probably doesn’t even know he’s doing it.  
  
He is a man in love. Yakov knew it would stick this time.  
  
  


\+ I

Makkachin lives a simple life.  
  
She remembered when Viktor adopted her from the pound. She was scrappy and young back then, with boundless energy. Excited to be picked by someone and brought home. A poodle mix, she remembers one of the workers telling Viktor. “ _They need to be well trained.”_  
  
Viktor bought her fancy collars and leashes and a comfy dog bed. She didn’t need them. She preferred to stay beside him at all times. When they went on walks she stayed close. At night, she would sleep in the same bed with him. The shiny pink accessories, high-end and designer, became neglected and dusty out of disuse.  
  
To say they were a little reliant on each other would be an understatement.  
  
Viktor is her master. Viktor is her friend. She loves him. She doesn't really understand where he goes or what he does when he leaves home, but she understood that he loves her very much.  
  
There were many other things in this world that Makkachin loves, such as but not limited to:  
1) When Viktor pets her.  
2) When Viktor throws a tennis ball.  
3) When Viktor takes her on walks.  
4) When Viktor takes her to the beach.  
5) When Viktor talks to her. She doesn’t really understand what he’s saying, but it’s always nice.  
  
Sometimes it was hard for Viktor to love her. He could not always be around Makkachin. She never understood why they simply could not stay beside each other for all of time. It wouldn’t be that hard. She's good dog. He’s said so himself.  
  
The incomplete list of things Makkachin dislikes:  
1) When Viktor left her home alone.  
2) When Viktor left her at the dog hotel.  
3) When Viktor brought someone home and she wasn’t allowed in the bedroom and they made funny noises.  
4) When Viktor used the big giant scary loud thing and rolled it on the carpet to clean the crumbs and dirt off.  
5) When Viktor was too tired to do anything but lay in bed and stare at his phone.

Makkachin’s list of dislikes, however, were mostly remedied when they moved houses. Here, she got to spend more time with Viktor, more than she ever had. Her new family members all liked her and gave her pets. It was warm here, and there was always someone home. When Viktor left, there is always company around her. They feed her human food and scratch her ears. She particularly likes Yuuri.  
  
Yuuri is Makkachin’s friend. He makes Viktor smile more, and that makes her happy.  
  
Viktor used to cry into her fur. He hasn’t done that in a long time. Maybe it had something to do with Yuuri.

She likes Yuuri because he is good to Viktor. Sometimes other people weren’t, and she wanted to bark and growl at them. She did that once, to a guy with broad shoulders who smelled like sweat and disgusting body spray. He got scared of her and Viktor said she was bad which she didn't like but Viktor never brought him over again. She has never growled at Yuuri.  
  
When they moved back to a different apartment in the big cold city Makkachin is familiar with, they still spent a lot of time with her. Makkachin is old now, and she didn’t like to go running as much. She likes being pet. She likes naps. She likes it when Viktor would pet her tummy and call her a babushka with a bittersweet tone in his voice.  
  
(Dogs can’t understand the concept of hate. They can’t understand why someone would hate something. Makkachin understands that sometimes people didn’t like her, like the snarky old lady on the airplane sitting in the seat across the aisle their way back to Russia, but she never let that phase her. Dogs can only understand love. Viktor loves her. Yuuri loves her. They all love each other, in a big tangle of love.)  
  
(Dogs are simple creatures, but that doesn’t mean they are stupid ones. They understand the concept of love better than any human could. They were bred for companionship. All they know is love). 

There are a lot of things in this world that Makkachin loves, but most of all she loves Viktor and Yuuri.

**Author's Note:**

> some notes on section 3:  
> 1) ignore the fact that time zones exist  
> 2) all the usernames i made up from my brain so dont go @-ing anyone because they're accidentally featured in this  
> 3) i dont know what stan twitter looked like in 2016. 2016 fandom tumblr is accurate though.  
> 4) if youve read this on mobile im sorry about the spacing
> 
> if you liked this fic, please leave me a comment <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 
> 
> you can also find me on tumblr - [kuragin.tumblr.com](https://kuragin.tumblr.com/)


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